Index of Grape Varieties


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Index of Grape Varieties

Dolcetto
Italian red grape from the Piedmont area of the North West. Produces soft varietal wines for early drinking. Gives lots of up front fruit with soft tannins with a style not unlike the Gamay of Beaujolais.

Gamay
The red grape of Beaujolais. Vinified by a process known as 'macération carbonique'* if produces light, fruit driven wines for early consumption. At home in the granite hills of Beaujolais it is a vigorous producer but susceptible to rot. Sometimes blended with Pinot Noir under the appellation 'Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains'. Also grown quite extensively in the Loire Valley notably in Touraine.

Gewurztraminer
Difficult to pronounce, the 'gewurzt' means 'spice' in German, it is also one of the easier varietals to recognise because of its distinct perfumed aroma, likened to rose petals and lychees. Best known in the wines of Alsace where it is designated a 'noble' grape and a permitted variety for the Grand Crus. It produces very aromatic wines with up to 14% alcohol and can be an excellent companion to oriental cuisine.

Grenache
Thought to have originated in Spain, where it is known as Garnacha, this is a hot climate red grape ideally suited to the Languedoc region of France and the Navarra region of Spain. It is primarily a blending grape, thin skinned, so giving lighter colour. It is often used to add subtlety to the more beefy southern reds. Has become very popular in California and Australia where it can be seen as a single varietal.

Lambrusco
Famous for the 'frizzante', semi sweet wines found in 1 litre screw cap bottles, this grape originates near Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Central Italy. Much maligned by 'serious' wine drinkers, it produces a fresh, semi sweet, fruit driven wine usually low in alcohol and quite inexpensive. Very popular in the United States.

Malbec
This red grape accounted for the famous 'black wine' of Cahors where it is known as the 'Cot' and the 'Auxerrois', and just to confuse matters further, when grown in St. Emilion, it is known as the 'Pressac'. A small, dark, thick-skinned grape, it gives intense colour, big tannins and lots of structure to the wines and is generally blended with a little Merlot for subtlety. Has become very popular in Argentina where it adapts well to the hot climate.

Marsanne
White grape of the Northern Rhône and primary constituent of white Crozes-Hermitage and St.Joseph it is also a permitted blend for red Hermitage. It produces wines high in extract and alcohol with pronounced floral and almond characteristics. Often blended with the more refined Roussanne for a touch of elegance. Seen as a varietal in the Victoria region of Australia, notably Chateau Tahbilk.

Merlot
The second 'noble' red grape of Bordeaux and the first in St. Emilion and Pomerol. Responsible for that delicious, plummy, soft style of wine it is an ideal blend with the more austere Cabernet. It is an adaptable grape that ripens early, gives great colour and fruit sweetness, but is susceptible to spring frosts and to rot. It has become extremely popular throughout the world in both its blended and varietal form, especially in Italy, Australia and Chile. Its most hallowed 'claim to fame' is perhaps Pomerol's 'Château Pétrus, one of the world's most expensive and sought after wines.

Muscat
There is no single Muscat grape but rather a family of grapes - over 200 in total - to which the name Muscat is appended. They are generally associated with aromatic, full flavoured wines with distinct floral and musky tones. They can be vinified dry, as in Alsace, sweet as in the Italian 'Moscato' and fortified as in Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise etc. In Spain the variety is known as 'Moscatel', in South Africa 'Muskadel' and many wine lovers have enjoyed the sumptuous delights of the Liqueur 'Brown' Muscats of Australia.

Nebbiolo
The red grape of Barolo and Barbaresco from the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy. Named after the word 'nebbia', or fog in Italian, which rises around the hills of Alba, the famous truffle countryside. It is noted for its high acidity and 'mouth puckering' tannins and its distinct bouquet of black cherries, liquorice and leather. A top Barolo will take years to soften but when mature will evolve the vegetal, gamy characteristics for which this Italian classic is famous. The colour on ageing Nebbiolo wines fades rapidly to form a distinctive brownish rim.

WineOnline Winery / Varietal Index
Overview | A-C | D-N | O-Z

Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Carignan
Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
Cinsaut

Gamay
Gewurztraminer
Grenache

Malbec
Marsanne
Merlot
Muscat

Pinotage
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir

Sangiovese
Sauvignon Blanc
Sémillon
Syrah (or Shiraz)


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